Tile Trim & Liner Guide
The right trim is what makes a tile installation look finished. Use this guide to understand each profile, see which trims come in your stone or color, and order the right number of pieces with your tile.
The Six Trim Profiles
Most of our natural stone trims are cut from the same stone as the matching tiles and mosaics, so color and veining carry straight through to the edge. Each profile does a different job.
Pencil Liner
½×12 · ⅝×12 in Carrara
A slim trim with a rounded, domed face. It reads as a fine line, so it is used to frame a mosaic panel, run an accent band, or cap a backsplash in traditional kitchens.
Bullnose Liner
¾×12
A flatter strip with a smoothly rounded finished edge. It ends the tile cleanly where it meets paint or drywall: backsplash sides, niche edges and wainscot tops.
Quarter Round
1×12
A fuller rounded profile for softening and protecting outside corners, window returns and edge transitions.
Ogee Liner & Chair Rail
2×12 · single or double step
A shaped S-curve profile that adds an architectural line: chair rails, wainscot caps and frames around fireplaces or feature walls. Ivory Travertine also comes in a double-step version.
Crown & Moldings
2×12 crown · 3×12 arch
The boldest cap. A crown molding finishes the top of a wainscot, tub surround or fireplace with a classic stepped profile. Vanilla Onyx offers a Milano crown and Ivory Travertine an arch molding.
Baseboard
4¾×12 · 5×12 in Silver, Scabos & Noce
A stone base where the floor meets the wall, used in place of a wood base so a marble or travertine floor carries up the wall in the same material.
Trims by Stone
Every trim you can order online today, by stone and profile. Click a size to open the product, or a stone name to see its full collection.
Finishes: P = polished · H = honed · T = tumbled · P/H = choose polished or honed on the product page. Sizes are in inches; every stone trim piece is 12″ long.
Need a profile you don't see? Our stone catalogues include more liners, borders and moldings than we sell online. Open a stone's collection and scroll to its Full Line table where available, or request a project quote and we'll price what your drawings call for.
Which Trim for Which Job?
| Where the tile stops | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Backsplash ends on open wall | Bullnose liner | Finishes the exposed edge cleanly and quietly. A pencil liner works as a more traditional top cap. |
| Frame around a mosaic or range-hood insert | Pencil liner | Draws a crisp outline without adding bulk. |
| Accent band through a shower or backsplash | Pencil liner | A single or doubled line reads as a deliberate detail. |
| Shower niche | Bullnose, plus pencil if desired | Bullnose finishes the edges; a pencil adds an inner frame. |
| Outside corner or window return | Quarter round | Softens and protects the corner. |
| Top of a wainscot or half-wall | Ogee liner or chair rail | Gives the cap visible weight at eye level. Add a pencil below it for a layered look. |
| Top of a tub surround or fireplace | Crown molding | The boldest, most architectural finish. |
| Where a stone floor meets the wall | Baseboard | Carries the floor material up the wall in place of a wood base. |
| Edge of a ceramic wall tile | That line's own-color liner or bullnose | Each ceramic trim is made to match its wall tile color and glaze. |
Choosing between the two most common profiles? Read Pencil Liner vs Bullnose: How to Choose the Right Marble Trim.
Finishes & Sizes to Know
Finishes
- Most marbles (Bianco Dolomite, Calacatta Gold, Carrara, Oriental White, Thassos, Crema Marfil, Nero Marquina) come polished or honed. Pick the finish on the product page.
- Emperador Dark and both onyx stones are polished.
- Ivory, Silver, Scabos and Noce travertine trims are honed; the Noce pencil liner is tumbled.
- Match the trim to your field tile for a seamless look, or use a polished trim on a honed wall when you want the edge to catch the light. Learn more in Honed or Polished Marble?
Sizes
- All natural stone trims are 12″ long.
- Baseboards are 4¾″ tall in marble, onyx and Ivory Travertine, and 5″ tall in Silver, Scabos and Noce travertine.
- Carrara White Gioia offers two pencil liners, ½″ and ⅝″.
- Ceramic trims are shorter: 8″ for Rhythm and Zellige Charm, 6″ for Retro Revival.
- Always check that the trim's thickness works with your tile; order samples of both and hold them together.
How Many Pieces Do You Need?
The method
- Measure every edge, line or base the trim will cover, in inches.
- Divide the total by the piece length (12″, 8″ or 6″).
- Add 10–15% for cuts, mitered corners, veining selection and breakage, and more for layouts with many corners or short runs.
Example: a backsplash with a 96″ top edge and two 18″ sides needs 132″ of bullnose. 132 ÷ 12 = 11 pieces, plus about 15% = 13 pieces.
Quick reference: 10 linear feet (120″)
| Piece length | Base pieces | With ~15% extra |
|---|---|---|
| 12″ stone trim | 10 | 12 |
| 8″ ceramic trim | 15 | 18 |
| 6″ ceramic trim | 20 | 23 |
Order trim with your tile. Natural stone varies from one production lot to the next. Ordering trim and tile together keeps the stone from the same production, and dry-laying the pieces before setting lets you balance color and veining. Keep a few spare pieces for future repairs. See Natural Stone Tile Variation Explained.
Ceramic Trims by Color
Our ceramic wall tile lines each come with a matching trim in every color, so the edge matches the glaze of the tile it finishes.
Rhythm
½×8 ceramic liner · satin · 6 colors
Zellige Charm
1×8 ceramic bullnose · semi-gloss · 6 colors
SeraPool Pool Trims & Edges
Pool trims are a separate system made for the SeraPool porcelain pool collection. Each of the 10 Relax colors has a matching trims and edges set: stair anti-slip pieces, left- and right-hand step nosing, single and double infinity/overflow edges, convex and concave pieces, and angle trim. Pool coping, overflow edge tiles and drain grates frame the pool in four neutral colors that pair with any tile color.
SeraPool is custom order only, for complete pool projects. It ships from the factory straight to the job site, so pricing and quantities are confirmed by quote.
Who This Guide Is For
Architects
Use the stone grid to confirm which profiles exist before you specify. Every product page lists the SKU, and catalogue profiles beyond those online are available by quote.
Interior Designers
Pair profiles and finishes to the room: quiet bullnose for minimal spaces, layered pencil and ogee for classic ones. Samples let clients see trim and tile together.
Builders & Contractors
Piece lengths, baseboard heights and the quantity method are all here. Send us your takeoff and we'll check trim counts with the tile order.
Homeowners
Start with the "Which trim for which job" table, then pick your stone in the grid. If you're unsure, order a sample of the trim with your tile.
Finishing a Tile Project?
Browse every trim and liner in one place, order samples to check the fit, or send us your drawings for help with profiles, quantities and project pricing.